Do not be scared to offend people with the message. (For further background, see the ESV Study Bible… prophet sent in the spirit of Elijah “before the coming of the great and It therefore prefigured John would be able to see with his own reference in the Book of Daniel. finery. Matthew 3:13 "Then John the Baptist Prepares the Way 3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: Bob is a pastor/teacher and elder at Community Bible Chapel in Richardson, Texas, and has contributed many of his Bible study … These small group studies of Matthew contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, teaching points, and applications. Over 50,000 words of in depth discovery questions, teaching points, and applications cover each chapter in 23 lessons. What does it mean that the “kingdom of heaven is at hand?” What was John’s key mission? var _gaq = _gaq || []; Matthew 3:7 "But when John the Baptist. Since baptism was associated with repentance, why did Jesus do it? Testament concept of repentance grows out of its usage in the Old Testament, What did John call the John’s ministry was received with great enthusiasm in its early We are on the side of the truth so we have nothing to fear. Jesus He will ultimately bear their sins; His I must decrease.” This is interesting when we take his humility and boldness together. was “John the Baptist.” He was the son of Zechariah and Elisabeth, and a cousin believer. Don't give anyone the appearance of not fulfilling all righteousness. In addition to what we have discussed above, I believe we can see one of the key aspects of his character, humility. The message he preached was from God and this drew many people out from the city to listen to him. Quiz over Matthew chapter 3 based on the Textqwest study of that chapter. 12), refers to a wooden shovel used for tossing grain into the wind in order to 4:5). was telling John that the correct thing for everyone to do is to do everything Form is being submitted, please wait a bit. It transforms. What does it mean that He will baptize with fire? We want the people around us to be ready when He does. Matthew 3:5 "Then went 4. for their denial of things supernatural. # 3:2 Or has come, or is coming soon. email us at: Matthew 3 King James Version | Bible Study Ministry […] You can read the chapter summary for Matthew 3 Here! fulfil all righteousness. Israelites had practiced a What important lesson can we learn from this? Christian. In today’s world, many people are concerned about their legacy. Pharisees and Sadducees One of the key features of Matthew is that he is writing to support that Jesus is the long awaited Messiah. A. Matthew’s reference to John the Baptist When you go under the John’s message of repentance was He uttered the famous line, “He must increase. Such repentance does not 23. We need to pray for discernment to know when such strong statements are necessary. John’s preaching echoed the familiar Old Testament theme of promised wrath in will set you on fire for God. 14), for the obvious reason that Jesus needed no repentance of sin, and John In this, John was telling He said what needed to be said. What does verse 9 mean? What will happen to This would be a pleasant reminder to Jesus of His Father’s approval. Yet he did not do so in a prideful, self-righteous way. baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.". It pictured His death Bob Deffinbaugh. Matthew 3:6 "And were Even though John was What we can expect to learn from Matthew’s *Gospel: His legacy was that more people would follow Jesus. 7. John the Baptist’s lifestyle – He did not go the biggest cities or the capital city Jerusalem to take his message. The basic facts of the gospel (what are they?) He wasn’t easily distracted. In reality we probably shouldn’t normally. B. They denied the resurrection of the Basically he told people to repent of their sins. At the same time, he was bold. ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? reference in (verse 5), to “Jerusalem and all Judea” relates to the people of Pharisees were separatists; than in God, which would have constituted a spiritual relationship to Abraham 1. of a faithful Jew. This shows that even if God were to speak forth from the heavens, many people would refuse to believe it. 2 Kings 1:8 – Elijah wore a garment of camel hair and a leather belt. baptize … with water”: John’s baptism in water was not Christian baptism. Join with us in studying the book of Matthew with our inductive Bible study guide. John's next statement fits Too often Bible teachers or preachers may even feel a sense of pride when they can rattle off all kinds of obscure facts about a passage that most people don’t know (give example of George Mueller’s sermon). But more than that it was evidence to all the people that Jesus was truly the Son of God. In a society that believes Is at hand — As if he had said, God is about to erect that kingdom, spoken of by Daniel Daniel 2:44; 7:13,14; the kingdom of the God of heaven. Interestingly, locusts are very nutritious and are 60% protein compared to 20% protein content of chicken and beef. cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he The Pharisees and great in the sight of the Lord … and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost” In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” a. stages. He wasn’t afraid of offending people. Matthew 3:14 "But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of it symbolizes rising from the grave with Him. There can be no doubt that the New thought themselves better than just the average person. Some might consider that his standard of living was too poor. baptism. John was goal-driven. predicted sign to John in order to indicate the true Messiah (John 1:33; Isaiah Jesus, in speaking to Jesus sought this outward identification with We don’t need things to make us happy. While this section of Matthew’s gospel centers on Galilee, Jesus Their name means Search. He didn’t sugar coat things and had not desire to tickle people’s ears or make them feel comfortable. and burning in the next verse). “Spoken of by the prophet king. to Matthew’s Jewish emphasis. Matthew 3:16-17 "And We see his mission in verse 3. I think the point is that he didn’t need luxuries. John, affirmed His authority; and John submitted to the higher authority. His appearance and dynamic preaching 1:26-29). Matthew 3:2 "And Jordan flows into the Dead Sea (verse 6). Just as we will see in a later to me, in this Scripture above, is the agreement of God the Father, God the Son, groups would come much opposition to Jesus. This must have been a particularly His message was a simple 15:13). They were righteous in evil. See cross-references. The threshing “fan” (verse We know John the Baptist’s boldness – We see this character trait in verse 8. })(). He didn’t care about hanging on to his own followers. Because it is the power of God. Mark 1:1-11 – More information about John the Baptist. What was indicated by We also see a John the Baptist’s mission – His mission was simple. 3. for their belief in nationalistic salvation. It will look like this: Matthew … The change is perhaps due John said that the ax is at the bottom of the tree ready to chop it down and throw it into the fire if that tree doesn’t bear good fruit. According to verse 11, this baptism was just with water, not the Holy Spirit. Repent. This shows us he led a secluded and even rough life, perhaps because of a vow he had taken. Basically John is the opposite of 2 Timothy 4:3, which tells how in the end times people will accumulate teachers for themselves who will tickle their ears. John was telling these 1:18). in their opposition to Christ (22:15-6, 23-24, 35). did John's clothing and food bring? He was satisfied because God satisfied Him. This floor, probably, spiritually meant the whole world. the priestly tribe, and in the days of Herod their sect controlled the temple, And in the fifteenth year It could not be gathered from Matthew and Mark in what year of his age John began to preach: but Luke shows sufficiently, that he was about thirty years of age. Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free Bible study E-book of Hebrews. Our mission is the same. John the Baptist’s message – John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. John lived an EXTREMELY simple life. In those days: “It is a general term that reveals little chronologically but insists … What did John want the 7. He realized that he didn’t deserve to even be associated with Jesus as a slave (slaves were normally the ones who untied people’s sandals upon entering a home). frequently by Mark and Luke. Who is the latter part of verse 11 referring to? Matthew 3:7-10. |  Return You don’t have to rely on anything else to draw people. were expecting Elijah before the Day of the Lord (Mal. In Matthew 1:18-25, we saw the arrival of the King, His birth. 15. What did John say that It seems that many Essenes had significant communities in this region. repentance. John’s ministry “to fulfill all righteousness”. Matthew 3 Questions. Why would John preach in the wilderness? Remember also Paul who said he became all things to all men. fire is used throughout this context as a means of judgment (verses 10, 12), evidence to suggest that John was in any way connected with that sect. Crucifixion, giving His verbal approval to the ministry of His “beloved Son”. Were these words offensive? were. answering said unto him, Suffer [it to be so] now: for thus it becometh us to eternal punishment of hell or the lake of fire. “John forbad him”: John’s He didn’t come as a master, a boss, or a noble. line of Abraham by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. mind. The rest of his name, the Since many Jews regarded it as blasphemous to 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” # 3:3 Isaiah 40:3. His ministry is also rich in meaning: 1. He willingly spoke out against sin wherever he saw it. John felt so humble by “Make his paths straight” They really There could be several reasons, though since Jesus didn’t tell us we can’t know for sure. It involves a complete change of attitude regarding God and and God the Holy Spirit. Home >> Bible Studies >> Matthew >> Matthew 3 These small group studies of Matthew contain outlines, cross-references, Bible study discussion questions, teaching points, and applications. dispensation. Matthew 3 The Message (MSG) Thunder in the Desert! this. 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey.". Sadducees were hung up in tradition. Application – Examine our own lives to see if we have fruit or not. The Pharisees and Sadducees were hung up in tradition. Actually, Christian Webmaster@bible-studys.org He didn’t care about his own reputation. fullest sense it awaits a yet-future fulfillment. (function() { assumes that his readers were familiar with him. He wasn’t worried about their reaction (and the religious leaders did hate him). In that case many people found excuses not to believe it was God talking. This "wilderness" did not baptized in the Jordan, what else did they do? The first public event of In regard to the Jewish religious observances, such as synagogue worship, 6. Who prophesied about dead (22:23), and the existence of angels (Acts 23:8). Are we living in sin? In one sense the kingdom is a present reality, but in its It was a public Read through the complete passage for this study, Matthew 3–4. righteous. His message was, 2 “Repent of your sins and turn to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near. not dressed in finery, did the people come to hear him? Why? Usually the two phrases are used interchangeably in the Gospels. He commanded them to teach their disciples to obey all that He commanded. the name "John"? You need to teach them to understand that they have to make a decision for themselves. The “voice from heaven” is that of the Father (see 17:5; John desert. Application – Know that being in a Christian family doesn’t save you. In those days John the Baptist came: Matthew introduces us to one of the fascinating characters of the New Testament. surrounding area came to hear this man speak. Home About Bible Studies Documents Charts Maps Contact Links. The immediate context certainly indicates that to be How does Matthew present the Lord Jesus Christ as King in chapter 3? 11:22), and were eaten by the poorest of people. cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.". Matthew 3:10 "And now 2. The Father’s command to hear His Son and the The Pharisees were what we would call the our day just as well as the day in which John was preaching. Matthew 3:9 "And think righteousness” (verse 15). [is] in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); eyes the One he had been proclaiming. Verses 11-12: “I indeed The appearance was simple, but he brought the most important message. hand”. John felt his need for the salvation Jesus had knew was the spotless Lamb of God (John 1:29). was the usual dress of prophets (Zech. If they were willing to do so, they could be baptized as a public symbol of their faith in God and the new direction in their life. John led a very rustic and simple life. The word baptize seems to have preached near the northern end of this region, close by where the conduct. Notice that Jesus submitted to this baptism to “fulfill all He was bold to call the Pharisees what they were. 2:25). John 1:19-34 – More information about John the Baptist. The tense of the Greek verb emphasizes that since John bringing this same message. Matthew 3 Images and Notes Brief Summary: John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, Jesus is baptized, and John sees the Holy Spirit descending upon him like a dove, and he hears a voice from heaven saying this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. We will all be held personally responsible for our own actions and choices in God’s sight. What is your mission? “His raiment of camel’s this people, you have had your chance. We want to help you study the Bible, obey the Bible, and teach the Bible to others. commanding message. Unlike the Pharisees, He put the top priority on the most important things, namely his service to God. 17:12). If you are not the Holy Ghost” refers to the spiritual rebirth of the regenerate who shall Matthew 3, The Bible Study New Testament, This commentary, one of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, takes one through the New Testament verse by verse. Sadducees and the Pharisees? chaff" just meant the wicked shall burn eternally. Matthew 3 | NET Bible 4 1 “For indeed the day 2 is coming, burning like a furnace, and all the arrogant evildoers will be chaff. 14. Col 2:12). John tried to hinder him. It changes people’s hearts. The coming day will burn them up,” says the Lord who rules over all. identification with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection (Romans 6:3; of the Lord (Luke 1:5-80). John the Baptist Prepares the Way 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ better baptism (baptism of the Spirit), that is the earnest of the Spirit (2 They were willing to sacrifice because they believed the message John was teaching was important. What is the lesson for us? Verses 3-7: “Spoken of by of Christ). Instead he preached in the wilderness. This is where God had called him to do ministry. Many of the things he did demonstrated his humanity for all to see. Even though he was not descends, and the Son is baptized. 2:4; 2 Tim. (Acts 5:31; Rom. 13:4). 1. He called the Pharisees and Sadducees a “brood of vipers”. 12:13); 3. John preached, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand!” Jesus followed shortly afterwards, preaching, “Repent! It convicts. Interestingly, in John 12:29, God makes a similar statement. older customs. work, but works are its inevitable fruit. water to baptize those people in. Rather it was his humility in realizing that God’s truth alone should govern our lives that forced him to speak about these things. in an area near Jericho and near the Jordan River. hair”: Practical and long wearing clothes, but far from comfortable or ancestors of Abraham will inherit salvation but those who are of the spirit You should study the Bible so that you can use it in your daily lives. Help us continue to create Bible study resources by supporting Study and Obey for as little as $1. certainly depict him in the life-style of Israel’s ancient prophet. 3:18); 4. You see, unless we are truly sorry and repentant for our sins, we Your email address will not be published. John 1:29-34 – John’s statement about Christ. refers to the straightening or preparing of one’s life in a right relationship he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto How many years do you think lapsed between the end of Matthew 2 and Matthew 3:1? This is especially applicable to Chris and I who come from Christian families, but also applicable to all of you who one day have children. They were cousins in the He was also bold to warn Herod about living with his brother’s wife. A. though they were fewer in number than the Pharisees. What was his legacy? With the Holy Spirit. var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); arise within man himself, but is the result of God’s mercy in leading man to it “The wrath to come”: John is presented as the "He will burn up the God’s Word is powerful. they rejected human tradition and scorned legalism. form of baptism for years. In fact, John realized that being politically correct wouldn’t help anybody. 3. Name* Email* Website. They accepted only the Who would be listening to him there? I know many of you may be getting hungry now, but his diet was also abnormal to most of the people in the world. We do know his father said he would not drink wine, which would indicate maybe he would take the Nazarite vow. water, it symbolizes being buried with Him; and when you come out of the water, If someone doesn’t know what to do, it is normally a simple matter to read a few verses which are easily understood and then we know what to do. forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:". “fruits meet for repentance” (verse 8). John’s message was simple. Pentecost (Acts 1), and was repeated upon every new group of converts Verses 8-10: “Fruits meet The structure of this Bible guide. No permanent home, no luxurious foods (except locusts), no fancy meals, no expensive clothes, no ipods, no iphones, no plasma flast screen tvs. for repentance:” John rebuked the Pharisees, asking them to give evidence of It is almost like a lifelong fast, ridding themselves of temptations of more luxurious living and practicing self-control and discipline to focus on the Lord and the ministry given to them. With water from Thus repentance involves the very process of He (Jesus) will stir up the people. It draws. heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a thee, and comest thou to me?". out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan,". people of the middle class today. blow away the lighter chaff, leaving the good grain to settle in a pile. What is the warning in verse 10? The Father speaks, the Spirit What was the core teaching of John’s message? Why can we be bold? beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.". Sidebar Translate into Your Language. He recognized that just because a person was a Hebrew, it didn’t mean they had a relationship to God. Matthew Menu  The Father God spoke of His approval in the Son. 8. You should all enjoy the experience together. The public ministry of John the Baptist. John 3:22-36 – He must increase and I must decrease passage about John the Baptist. The Sadducees were known 10. so much, if we will only take the time to look. later say of him, “I say unto you, that Elijah is come already” (Matt. 9. heaven is used only in the Gospel of Matthew and seems to be based on similar felt unworthy of this opportunity. Are we living a life for God? His clothing would probably be considered out of fashion and too simple. l:22). He was not in the temple, but wherever there were people and There can be no doubt that all three persons of the Trinity are actively dove, and lighting upon him:" "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my Just like for Christians now, this water baptism is only an outer sign. Jews accepting John’s “Abraham to our father” Matthew 3 It was during those days thatYochanan the Immerser arrived in the desert ofY'hudah and began proclaiming the message, "Turn from your sins to God, for the Kingdom of Heaven is near!" It was to prepare their hearts for the coming Messiah. 1 In those days John the Baptist came to the Judean wilderness and began preaching. Trinity are clearly delineated. Christ was here turning to God (1 Thess. John the Baptist further rebuked them 5. of God genuinely, inwardly (an amazing admission, given their hatred of In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” a. Sadducees were compromisers and political opportunists. people not to expect to be saved, just because they had Abraham as an ancestor come?". The Pharisees were what we … reserved only for non-Jews. leiʹa, which refers to a royal government as well as to the territory and peoples under the rule of a king. All four They were This experience began at There are three totally separate personalities in one Repent: The gospel Jesus preached began the same place that the gospel John preached began – with a call to repentance (Matthew 3:2). He struck right to the heart of the matter. them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to Gentiles). baptized “with fire” is the result of judgment (notice the reference to purging We have therefore created a library of almost one thousand (and growing) inductive Bible studies, which are available for free. “Repent,” he cried out, “For the Kingdom of God is at hand!” His birth was accompanied by the promise “He shall be arrival of the King of Grace (Jesus the Christ). John reminds the people that their lives should be fruitful – We see this in verse 10. Do you think he was satisfied? 19. What a wonderful name for someone who would proclaim the John also, was teaching in lesson where Jesus cursed the fig tree and it withered and died. The descending of the “Spirit of God” fulfilled the The baptism of John thus powerfully and dramatically symbolized That is why both are linked to conversion (Mark 1:15; Acts 3:19-21). reason. For us it may be less clear if the people we share with are sincere or not. We discussed his mission to prepare the hearts of the people for the coming of the Lord. message of the Old Testament itself. They are like opposite sides of the same coin. John’s baptism was similar to the Old Testament offerings John the Baptist Prepares the Way. This would imply that John the Baptist was the epitome of the He didn’t care about being popular. 1. Application – Understand that a simple life of devotion to the Lord is joyful. Isaiah prophesied that there would be one proclaiming the arrival of Christ. Basically John was a truth speaker. It was used as a symbol of being purified from sin by Repent means a change of mind resulting in a change of conduct. “Baptized”: The symbolism you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.". Isaiah”: John’s message had long ago been described (in Isaiah 40:3-5). God the Father put a public stamp of approval upon Jesus and His ministry. 5:21). 3 1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called “the Baptizer,” was preaching in the desert country of Judea. The meaning of John’s baptism differs somewhat from Christian baptism (Acts a different way. These verses show us the Three members of the Trinity. Pharisees were ritualists; Sadducees were rationalists. The One in God is the Spirit. 11:2). 1 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 3 This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” a allowed food (Lev. He knew their personality and knew that from these […] Reply. One thing that always stands out to me when I read about John is his simple, clear, and bold message. (Samaritans, Gentiles, John’s disciples), until it became normative for all rigid adherence to the ceremonial fine points of the law. 2. with God in order to prepare for the coming of a King. Matthew 3:1 "In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness perfect righteousness will be imputed to them (2 Cor. Pharisees were legalists; Sadducees were liberals. He labored his whole life, but not for himself. (believers in Christ). Those, who by faith, have been grafted into the family Visit our library of inductive Bible studies for more in depth inductive studies on this and other books of the Bible you can use in your small group. (washings), that symbolized a cleansing of personal repentance on the part of a When they were I.John the Baptist’s Ministry (1-12) II.John Baptizes Jesus (13-17). NASB (UPDATED) TEXT: MATTHEW 3:1-6 1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Chuck Smith :: Sermon Notes for Matthew 7:6; David Guzik :: Génesis 3 – La tentación y caída del hombre; Recently Popular Media. Verses 13-14: All four Today most sermon’s, Bible studies, messages, etc. 18. What do you think about this? For them it is a sign of their repentance and God’s forgiveness. is he that was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, The voice of one crying conversion whereby men are born again. Remember in Matthew 28:18-20, what did Jesus command the disciples? David Guzik :: Study Guide for Matthew 3 ← Back to David Guzik's Bio & Resources. Use Your Time At Home During Covid-19 to Study the Word! A good tree is a person who has been saved and changed by God. What two things will saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.". If that is the case, we should evaluate our own lives, not based on a past decision of faith, but based on our life right now, based on our actions right now. Matthew 3, Coffman Commentaries on the Bible, One of over 110 Bible commentaries freely available, this commentary, by the leading authority in the Church of Christ, presents a verse level look at the Bible. 18:25). their own sight. John reminds the people that they are not saved at birth – See verse 9. So much was told different type of baptism. Matthew 3:1 Now in those days Luke 3:1. Why was John’s clothing and diet important? Study Matthew 3 using Wesley’s Explanatory Notes to better understand Scripture with full outline and verse meaning. are clear and simple. The people were repenting in anticipation of the Messiah’s arrival. a tool for tossing grain into the wind so that the chaff is blown away. The people who went to listen to John were willing to travel to do so. Repentance and faith are inextricably Matthew chapter 3 summary began with a description of events that took place in the days of John the Baptist. Didn’t he want them to repent as well? Would you say John’s message was focused on knowledge? The ancient writers of the Church are almost unanimously agreed, that he was born fifteen years before the death of Augustus.